Seventh Star Press

We've got a new home! The Seventh Star is now live at a new location!

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Thu, 4 Aug 2016 10:08:00 -0700

We will keep this location as an archive for all of our previous posts and activities, but from here forward we have a new location to invite you to! The Seventh Star, the official blog of Seventh Star Press, is now located at:

www.theseventhstarblog.com

With the change in location, there are also new improvements and content! We will have regular columns on a variety of topics, featured guests and still bring you the press' news and announcements.

Go check out the new home and bookmark it! Lots of exciting things ahead!

New YA Steampunk Available Today with J L Mulvihill's Rails West!

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 08:19:00 -0700

Seventh Star Press is proud to announce that J L Mulvihill's latest YA Steampunk adventure, Rails West, book three of the Steel Roots Series, is now available in print and ebook formats! Direct links to different versions are below.

eBook Versions: All priced at $2.99

Kindle

Nook

Kobo

iTunes (will be live shortly)

Print Version

Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble

Synopsis of Rails West: “The System Regulatory Unit has determined that the responsible parties of last week’s explosion in Downtown St. Louis are none other than the notorious Abigail Steel and her band of pirates. She is wanted for questioning regarding numerous acts of rule breaking against the System. She is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached but informed upon at once.”

Not only is her name misspelled, but the System has her description all wrong because AB’Gale Steel is not a criminal. She just wants to find her papa and now she feels she is so close, but will the System catch her before she finds him? And what about the marks on the map the old hobo gave her? What was Papa doing in all those places? Why is the System so concerned about Bishop Steel and his daughter? Are the people of America seething with frustration? And is there an insurgency boiling beneath the surface?

All the answers lie within Rails West.

About J. L. Mulvihill: A California native born in Hollywood, J.L. Mulvihill has made Mississippi her home for the past seventeen years. Her debut novel was the young adult title The Lost Daughter of Easa, an engaging fantasy novel bordering on science-fiction with a dash of Steampunk, published through Dark Oak Press in 2011. The sequel to this novel is presently in the works.

Her most recent novel, The Boxcar Baby of the Steel Roots series, was released in July 2013 through Seventh Star Press. Steel Roots is a young adult series based in the Steampunk genre and engages the reader into a train hopping heart stopping adventure across America.

She is also the co-editor of Southern Haunts; The Spirits That Walk Among Us which includes a short story of her own called Bath 10, and a fictional thriller involving a real haunted place. Her poem, The Demon of the Old Natchez Trace, debuts in Southern Haunts part 2, Devils in the Darkness.

J.L. also has several short fiction pieces in publication, is very active with the writing community, and is the events coordinator for the Mississippi Chapter of Imagicopter known as the Magnolia-Tower. She is also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Gulf Coast Writers Association (GCWA), The Mississippi Writers Guild (MWG), as well as the Clinton Ink-Slingers Writing Group.

J.L. continues to write fantasy, steampunk, and poetry and essays inspired by her life in the South. You can find some of her short stories at

Dark Oak Press www.darkoakpress.com

as well as

Seventh Star Press www.seventhstarpress.com

and at her websites:

www.elsielind.com

jlsbooks.blogspot.com/

home.comcast.net/~mulvijen/site

Cover Reveal for JL Mulvihill's new YA Steampunk Novel Rails West! Book Three of Steel Roots!

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 06:40:00 -0700

Seventh Star Press is proud to reveal the cover art created by Anne Rosario for Rails West, the third installment in JL Mulvihill's amazing YA Steampunk Series Steel Roots!

Out July 26th in eBook formats and July 27th in print, Rails West is the conclusion of the trilogy that began with The Boxcar Baby and continued with Crossings.

About Rails West: The System Regulatory Unit has determined that the responsible parties of last week’s explosion in Downtown St. Louis are none other than the notorious Abigail Steel and her band of pirates. She is wanted for questioning regarding numerous acts of rule breaking against the System. She is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached but informed upon at once.” Not only is her name misspelled, but the System has her description all wrong because AB’Gale Steel is not a criminal. She just wants to find her papa and now she feels she is so close, but will the System catch her before she finds him? And what about the marks on the map the old hobo gave her? What was Papa doing in all those places? Why is the System so concerned about Bishop Steel and his daughter? Are the people of America seething with frustration? And is there an insurgency boiling beneath the surface?

All the answers lie within Rails West.

About JL Mulvihill: A California native born in Hollywood, J.L. Mulvihill has made Mississippi her home for the past seventeen years. Her debut novel was the young adult title The Lost Daughter of Easa, an engaging fantasy novel bordering on science-fiction with a dash of Steampunk, published through Dark Oak Press in 2011. The sequel to this novel is presently in the works.

Her most recent novel, The Boxcar Baby of the Steel Roots series, was released in July 2013 through Seventh Star Press. Steel Roots is a young adult series based in the Steampunk genre and engages the reader into a train hopping heart stopping adventure across America.

She is also the co-editor of Southern Haunts; The Spirits That Walk Among Us which includes a short story of her own called Bath 10, and a fictional thriller involving a real haunted place. Her poem, The Demon of the Old Natchez Trace, debuts in Southern Haunts part 2, Devils in the Darkness.

J.L. also has several short fiction pieces in publication, is very active with the writing community, and is the events coordinator for the Mississippi Chapter of Imagicopter known as the Magnolia-Tower. She is also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Gulf Coast Writers Association (GCWA), The Mississippi Writers Guild (MWG), as well as the Clinton Ink-Slingers Writing Group.

J.L. continues to write fantasy, steampunk, and poetry and essays inspired by her life in the South. You can find some of her short stories at

Dark Oak Press www.darkoakpress.com

as well as

Seventh Star Press www.seventhstarpress.com

and at her websites:

www.elsielind.com

jlsbooks.blogspot.com/

home.comcast.net/~mulvijen/site

Elements of Storytelling—The Flaws of Mass Effect 3 (or How Not to End a Story)

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 03:00:00 -0700

If you haven’t heard the controversy to the ending of Mass Effect 3 by now, then you’re just not a gamer—or you don’t waste as much time on YouTube like I do.

But studying the ending to this otherwise masterpiece of video game based interactive storytelling can be extremely helpful, because you will then know what not to do when it comes to endings. And knowing what not to do can be more valuable than knowing what to do.

For starters, the ending suffers from a bad lack of clarity. Most gamers were left confused over what was really going on. After Harbinger decimates Hammer Squad likes it’s nothing, and then just leaves like a pimp after assuming everyone’s a corpse, and Shepard wakes up badly wounded struggling to his feet, my own first set of questions popped up:

1) What the hell happened to my cool personalized and modified armor? Why is he (or she if, like me, you played “FemShep”—What? Did you think I was going to look at a man’s butt for 50+ hours?) suddenly in a badly beaten and burned version of the standard N7 armor he started with at the game’s beginning?

2) Where’s my rockin’ awesome Widow sniper rifle? Why is it that the only gun near him in the whole death field just happens to be the worst handgun in the Mass Effect universe? I might have even been okay with the ending(s) if I hadn’t had to die fifteen times to three wimpy Husks and one wussy Marauder because my gun sucked and Shepard’s crippled ass couldn’t aim steady! That’s a whole lot of work to go through for just a “meh” set of endings with no resolution.

3) Oh. AND WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY TWO SQUAD MATES! One second they were with me, and then suddenly gone, disappeared, no where to be found, not even two dead corpses.

4) After getting beamed up onto the Citadel and having to deal with the Illusive Man (which was actually the only part in the entire ending that seemed to have been handled well), and Shepard’s nearly bled out, do we suddenly get dumped with a Deus Ex Machinae in the form of a ghost boy calling himself the Catalyst who then gives Shep three choices on stopping the Reapers, all of which ends up in his death (well, except for the “perfect” ending in the Destroy option, where it shows him taking a gasp of breath even though the Destroy option was supposed to destroy all synthetics and Shep is half synthetic. And for the record, I didn’t pick the Destroy option. Screw the organics! I ain’t killing off the Geth and EDI just to take out the Reapers, not when other options are available, you heartless psychopaths!).

And those are just a tiny tiny sample of the almost infinite amount of questions the ending left you with.

And that is the true problem with the ending before it got “fixed” with an extended cut that finally fixed some of the plot holes and offered resolution, but still leaves you stuck fighting off the husks and marauder with the crappy gun and non-modified armor. It wasn’t that Shep died (now he only clearly dies in two of the endings). It wasn’t because you were left with only “three” choices. It wasn’t even that annoying ghost boy I wish I could shoot (which I now can but….). It’s because no matter how it ended, the plot holes were still glaringly obvious. And they wouldn’t have even been noticeable by most if the ending had been done well.

And it all comes down to the editing. Vital parts were missing, parts that might have provided the needed clarity. I could see what they were trying for, and I even applaud the attempt. And if it had been done correctly, fans would have been arguing over the philosophic merits and flaws of the ending instead of…well, it’s fictional structure. They managed to keep the players in a suspension of disbelief all the way through 90+ hours of gaming, only to completely break that suspension in the last five minutes of it.

If anything proves just how important the ending to a story can be, ME 3 shows it with perfect clarity.

A couple months ago Bioware came out with a free DLC that provided an “extended ending,” adding cutscenes and dialogue to help bring more clarity to what actually happened (Was Shepard being Indoctrinated and it all was just a dream? Did it really happen, and the galaxy really is that screwed? And how did the Mass Relays blow up without destroying all the star systems they’re in like what happened when Shep walloped a Mass Relay with an asteroid in “The Arrival” DLC? Or was it a bizarre combination of real events mixed with Shep hallucinating from an Indoctrination attempt by Harbinger? And where the hell did Harbinger go?!).

While they did manage to pull it off to some extent. I still wondered at first if the damage was already done, and there was no going back? No more suspension of disbelief? But what I discovered with the extended ending was that, yes, suspension of disbelief can be returned with a good enough fix, but I still haven’t stopped caring about being stuck with the crappy gun and not having my cool armor anymore. I’m just willing to set that part aside now.

Personally, I think they should’ve gone with this ending. After all, why not? The damage is already done anyhow.

So let this be a lesson to all storytellers, no matter the medium they tell their stories in:

Never, ever, ever screw up the ending.

And always, always give your audience the resolution they need.

Brick Marlin's New Science Fiction and Horror Novel Ozarium Now Available in eBook Format!

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 08:44:00 -0700

Brick Marlin's Ozarium, a brilliant blend of science fiction, horror and dark fantasy that is the second release in his Transitional Delusions Series, is now available from Seventh Star Press! Featuring illustrations by Enggar Adirasa, Ozarium is the follow-up to Brick's highly-acclaimed Shadows Out of the Sky!

Direct links to eBook verions. All priced at $2.99

Synopsis of Ozarium: The Shift of the world transitioned without delusion. The Reckoning has molded a brand new world, beginning with a colony ran by a large corporation called Slader Corp which invents a bizarre lottery, randomly choosing a winner, awarding him or her with infamous amounts of BodyKredd to spend nearly however they wish; though, in turn, surrendering their bodies to the demi agents when they come calling.

But what happens when a child wins the lottery?

About Brick Marlin: Brick Marlin has been writing since he was a child. From an early age he was exposed to older, original horror movies. The great ones that have made a mark in history. He also tackled reading the likes of Stephen King, Clive Barker, Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut, Dean Koontz, Charles Dickens, Harper Lee, H.G. Wells, W. W. Jacobs, etc. Thus, he decided to engage himself and write horror and dark fantasy, scaring readers such as his parents, his friends, a handful of neighbors, and even leaving a few school teachers scratching their heads wondering if the boy should be committed or not with his gruesome tales of terror. Short story ideas continued to visit. A book idea or two sometimes stopped by for a sit. In 2007 he decided to take a more professional approach with his work. Hence, as a member of the Horror Writers Association, already having five books published by small presses with one more in the works coming soon, nearly twenty-five short stories published, adding to the few anthologies and collaborations with other authors, Brick Marlin trudges onward, hoping to achieve more creations, living in the minds of his characters making decisions such as whether to turn the knob and enter through the Red Door, or perhaps try and take a chance at the Blue Door, the one that is already ajar, a bony finger beckoning the next visitor.

Married to the best woman in the world, she allows him to tuck himself away inside his office, donning his Anti-Literary Gremlin helmet, and produce his bizarre tales.

Be sure to pick up Brick Marlin's Shadow Out of the Sky, the first book in the Transitional Delusions Series, too!

eBook links:

Restless Spirit, the latest Tipsy Fairy Tale Release from E. Chris Garrison, Available Today!

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 07:37:00 -0700

Seventh Star Press is proud to announce that Restless Spirit, the 2nd Book in the Tipsy Fairy Tales from E. Chris Garrison, is available today! With a blend of the paranormal, thriller elements, humor, and contemporary fantasy, Restless Spirit will delight readers who enjoyed the first book in the series, Blue Spirit! This release also includes 2 new illustrations by Anne Rosario! Direct links to eBook and print versions are below the cover art here:

eBook Links (all eBook versions are $2.99)

Print Links

Synopsis: When Skye McLeod is asked by her pal Phil Jenson if she wants to cosplay at his game company's booth during Big Con Weekend—and get paid for it—she jumps at the chance. Besides, Skye’s hit a rocky patch with her girlfriend Annabelle, who wants her to stop drinking and act more responsibly.

Then Skye gets a call from paranormal detective Rebecca Burton for another job; something big is going on at the convention, and she needs Skye to be her eyes and ears there. So now Skye’s getting paid to have fun—twice!

Then The Night Duke, a creep from Skye’s live role playing days, shows up and uses some weird mojo, seemingly turning pretend zombies into real ones. After barely escaping an attack, Skye learns the fairies and trolls within the magical realm are getting restless, and her old friend, the Transit King, is in the middle of it.

Skye decides to once again enlist the aid of her fairy companion “Minnie.” For Skye to enter the magic realm, she needs to get tipsy. Then she’ll just have to control the powers within her and contain the outside forces that threaten to spin into chaos. How can she possibly screw this up?

Book Two of the Tipsy Fairy Tales Trilogy

About the Author: E. Chris Garrison writes fantasy and science fiction novels and short stories. She used to publish as Eric Garrison, but has since upgraded.

Her latest series is Trans-Continental, a steampunk adventure with a transgender woman as its protagonist. Chris’s supernatural fantasy stories include the Road Ghosts trilogy and the Tipsy Fairy Tales published by Seventh Star Press. These novels are humorous supernatural fantasies, dealing with ghosts, demonic possession, and sinister fairy folk.

Her novel, Reality Check, is a science fiction adventure released by Hydra Publications. Reality Check reached #1 in Science Fiction on Amazon.com during a promotion in July 2013.

Chris lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her wife, step-daughter and cats. She also enjoys gaming, home brewing beer, and finding innovative uses for duct tape.

Elements of Storytelling—Symbolism, Redux (or how to get it Right)

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 03:00:00 -0700

Handling symbolism in fiction can be pretty tricky. But when done right, it can enrich your fiction in wondrous ways. Throwing it in just to have it in there can be done, but I don’t recommend it. If a certain line from a famous poem keeps showing up, then it better damn well have a connection to the story’s plot or theme, or to a main character. Otherwise, it’ll just be redundant and annoying.

You also have to avoid the danger of getting too esoteric. After all, it’s pointless to fill your book or film with hidden messages if it goes over the head of the majority of your audience. But then again, if even one person in the theater during a showing of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen jumps up and yells “Jesus Christ has chrome!” when Optimus Prime is brought back to life, then maybe you did your job right after all…

Symbols are also good for foreshadowing later scenes. Like the old saying goes: if you show a gun on a table in Act I, then it better get used by Act III—or something like that. The point is symbolism needs to be more than just symbolic; it needs to fit within the overall structure of the story. Otherwise, all you got is useless fluff. And nothing in your story should be useless—ever. If you like useless, then go write literary and call yourself an aaaaaahhhhtist. Or better yet, learn how to write a real story so you don’t have to.

So yeah, symbolism is cool (Hehehehe, yeah! Cool!). But only when it isn’t overdone and only when it actually matters.

Elements of Storytelling—Symbolism and Iconography in Fiction

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Mon, 23 May 2016 04:00:00 -0700

While a lot of what I mention is self-evident, I’m actually including source references with this article due to the, ahem, “touchiness,” of some of the symbolic aspects that I mention. So, yeah, you’ve been warned:

Symbols are everywhere, and we are only beginning to understand the full psychological effect on the human psyche. Why are people attracted to certain colors?¹ What’s up with the color black always being viewed as a sign of evil or masculine aggression? Why did the Cross (which exists in many forms, like the Egyptian Ankh) give people a sense of protection even before the Christian era?² And what does all this have to do with writing fiction?

Long before writing and language became the dominant form of communication, ancient humans used to paint symbols onto cave walls to communicate vital information to the rest of their tribes, like the best food to hunt and where to find it.³ So reaction to symbolic imagery was ingrained into the human psyche thousands of years before the first Sumerian cuneiform was created. The skill that ancient humans used to interpret the symbols is what we today call symbolism, better called symbol literacy⁴.

As writing and language became the dominant communication method our skill in symbol literacy diminished; although, it never completely died out, and much of it became incorporated into the great myths and fairy-tales--the forerunners of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. And it is in those three genres where you find the ancient symbolic iconography appear most often, whether it’s the color symbols used by Edgar Allen Poe or Tolkien representing Sauron as a fiery All-Seeing Eye. Often the image use is a subconscious act during the writing process, but sometimes the writer knows exactly what he’s putting in there and its intended effect.

Nowhere does it become more obvious than in big-budget films like Ultraviolet. You could possibly write an entire book about the symbolic iconography in this film alone, and there are hundreds of films filled with symbols to one extent or another. But let’s just break down one or two of the basics.

In Ultraviolet you have the headquarters of the main antagonist, Dax. The walled compound is in the shape of a cross (a symbol for Life and Resurrection²), and while some of the structures are pyramidal, the main building in the cross’s center possesses a domed roof comprised of triangular glass panes, representing the “dome” of the Sun. Why does the evil guy responsible for tyranny and death dwell here? Because he’s the corruption from within. It’s no accident that the final battle involves flame-covered swords and that the compound gets destroyed by fire, for fire is a two-edged sword that can both destroy and purify at the same time. Throughout the film, the hemophage protagonist, Violet (a color made by the mixing of red with blue, or war with peace) acts as a matronly protective Madonna figure to a child named Six who was engineered with a pathogen that could doom the entire world but also contains the key to possibly cure the hemophages. Six dies, thus saving the world from the pathogen, and Violet’s tears (representing the Water of Life) later “resurrects” Six as a hemophage. Whether the hemophages will one day be cured is left open, but the Twice-Born God² nature of Six combined with the Isis/Horus (or Mary/Christ) relationship between him and Violet intentionally leaves the viewer feeling hopeful.

In Lord of the Rings, Gandalf the Grey resurrects as Gandalf the White. The color white represents goodness, or the Light. But why does it represent this? Because in ancient times the rise of the Sun meant a new day dawned and they had survived one more night. Night was the most fearful time of all for ancient humans. Predators came out at night who could see at night far better than humans could. That is why night, or darkness (black), was personified as evil; and day, or light (white), was seen as good. This is why white was often viewed as a feminine aspect in matriarchal societies but as a masculine aspect in patriarchal societies. And it is also the reason why the Sun plays such a prominent role in ancient myths all over the world.

Sauron is described as “a great eye, lidless, wreathed in flame” that can pretty much see anything he wants. The All-Seeing Eye is an ancient symbol that represented the Eye of God which the ancients often viewed as being the Sun. So why is a being of evil (or night) pretending to be God? Just as Set seeks to stop Ra, and Satan seeks to stop Christ, because he wishes to be the ruler over all (God); so too does Sauron seek to stop Illuvatar by pretending to be Illuvatar, but he can only succeed at being a cheap imitation.

The above are only tiny examples of the richness and depth to be found in the meaning of symbols that appear in literature, film, music, or even the building you passed on your way to the grocery store. But how can you incorporate such richness to enhance your own fiction?

The first step is to understand that the symbols cannot become the story, they only serve to enhance the story you’re trying to tell or to provide a “hidden” story within the story (which Neil Gaiman does quite often).

Second, unless you plan to let your subconscious have all the fun, you have to know your symbols. A good book to get is Elisabeth Goldsmith’s Ancient Pagan Symbols. That book is the mother load of ancient symbols and their meanings. A good study of the psychological influence symbols and colors can have on the human mind can be found, of all places, on YouTube: Michael Tsarion--The Subversive Use of Sacred Symbolism in the Media. It’s in eleven parts and is an eye-opener to the amount of ancient symbols people get bombarded with on a daily basis and how corporations use them to sell their products. Tsarion is well-known among the alternative research field, and many of his views on other things fall in the category of conspiracy theory. However, I find his work on symbolism well-researched and much along the lines of what people like Elisabeth Goldsmith, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Joseph Campell has written or said on the subject. So, Dan Brown, eat your heart out.

And last but not least, read Poe. Poe knew symbolism, and more importantly he knew how to incorporate them into his stories without making it too obvious. Of course, if you try to bombard your readers like Poe did, you better know exactly what you’re doing; otherwise, it’ll fall flat.

But whether you decide to bombard the human psyche with “in-your-face” iconography, use it sparingly to enhance a scene or two, or just study it to learn what your subconscious had known all along, one thing is for certain. Once you become symbol literate, you’ll never again see the world through the same eyes.

And, with a little luck and some skill, neither will your readers.

References

¹. Color Theory--Color Lessons in Art and Design. http://www.artyfactory.com/color_theory/color_theory_2.htm

². Goldsmith, Elisabeth (2003, June 11). Ancient Pagan Symbols (Illustrated Edition). Red Wheel.

³. Cave Paintings. New World Encyclopedia. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Cave_painting

5 New Releases from SSP Today,from L. Andrew Cooper, Crymsyn Hart, and Dan Jolley!

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:43:00 -0700

In celebration of the big StokerCon 2016 weekend that Seventh Star Press is attending in Las Vegas, we have five brand new releases to announce! USA Today bestselling author Dan Jolley's cross-genre Gray Widow's Walk kicks off the Gray Widow Trilogy and brings you an amazing new heroine! The followup to bestselling author Crymsyn Hart's Death's Dance, Death's Revival, takes the next step in the Deathly Encounters series with a great Grim Reaper element! Then, L. Andrew Cooper's horror short story collection Leaping at Thorns is available in a second edition, along with the speculative fiction anthology Reel Dark that L. Andrew co-edited with Pamela Turner. This edition features two brand new short stories from bestselling author Michael West and Alexander S. Brown. Finally, L. Andrew's brand new short story collection Peritoneum makes its debut!

L. Andrew Cooper and Dan Jolley are currently out in Las Vegas at StokerCon 2016 launching Peritoneum and Gray Widow's Walk, but you can get these and all the new titles today! Our guide below includes direct links to various formats, and includes a synopsis of each book! All titles/versions in eBook format are just $2.99!

Get Gray Widow's Walk today at these links:

Synopsis of Gray Widow's Walk: “The only thing in this world you can truly control is yourself.”

Janey Sinclair’s ability to teleport has always been a mystery to her. She tried for years to ignore it, but when tragedy shatters her life, Janey’s anger consumes her. She hones her fighting skills, steals a prototype suit of military body armor, and takes to the streets of Atlanta, venting her rage as the masked vigilante dubbed “the Gray Widow” by the press.

But Janey’s power, and her willingness to use it, plunges her into a conflict on a much grander scale than she had anticipated.

Soon she encounters Simon Grove, a bloodthirsty runaway with a shapeshifting ability gone horribly wrong…

Garrison Vessler, an ex-FBI agent and current private defense contractor, who holds some of the answers Janey’s been searching for…

And Tim Kapoor, the first person in years with a chance of breaking through Janey’s emotional shell—if she’ll let him.

But as Janey’s vigilantism gains worldwide attention, and her showdown with Simon Grove draws ever closer, the reason for her augmented abilities—hers and all the others like her—begins to reveal itself. Because, high above the Earth, other eyes are watching. And they have far-reaching plans…

Gray Widow’s Walk is book one of the Gray Widow Trilogy, to be followed by Gray Widow’s Web and Gray Widow’s War.

Get Death's Revival today at these links:

Synopsis of Death's Revival: Becoming a grim reaper was right up my alley. I enjoyed being dead. I helped souls crossover into either Heaven or Hell with my fellow reaper, Than. For two years, I enjoyed my life and then the killings started. Psychics were being murdered at haunted sites and souls disappearing.Someone was tampering with the fabric of the universe, trying to draw something evil into this world. To do that, the killer needed the souls of the psychics and the ghosts he could gather to open the doorway.I was charged with saving those souls and find out who the serial killer was. Yeah, being used as bait was definitely not my first choice, but who can kill a grim reaper?I'm already dead.With Than's help, I'll stop the evil from penetrating this world so I can get back to my soul gathering.

I mean the dead stay dead, right?

Get Peritoneum today at these links:

Synopsis of Peritoneum: Snaking through history--from the early-1900s cannibal axe-murderer of "Blood and Feathers," to the monster hunting on the 1943 Pacific front in "Year of the Wolf," through the files of J. Edgar Hoover for an "Interview with 'Oscar,'" and into "The Broom Closet Where Everything Dies" for a finale in the year 2050--Peritoneum winds up your guts to assault your brain. Hallucinatory experiences redefine nightmare in "Patrick's Luck" and "The Eternal Recurrence of Suburban Abortion." Strange visions of colors and insects spill through the basements of hospitals and houses, especially the basement that provides the title for "TR4B," which causes visitors to suffer from "Door Poison." Settings, characters, and details recur not only in these tales but throughout Peritoneum, connecting all its stories in oblique but organic ways. Freud, borrowing from Virgil, promised to unlock dreams not by bending higher powers but by moving infernal regions. Welcome to a vivisection. Come dream with the insides.

Get Reel Dark today at these links:

Synopsis of Reel Dark: Welcome to a macabre cinema for the imagination, to twisted tales projected not on a movie screen but on the page. In Reel Dark you'll find suspense, horror, science fiction, and fantasy in fiction and poetry by authors ranging from new voices to bestsellers. From the battle for recognition between a child actress and a vengeful, long-forgotten film star in "Whatever Happened to Peggy...Who?" to a hapless artist whose talent propels him into a nightmare of jealousy and revenge in "The Dreamist," the authors have created worlds filled with madness and twisted desires. Where the lines between reality and fantasy blur, where films flicker at 24 frames per second, we catch a glimpse of strangers' dreams and nightmares. As David Lynch puts it, "This whole world is wild at heart and weird on top." As Karen Head writes in her poem "Amnesia," responding to Lynch, "In the movies / everything is illusion." But with cameras everywhere, how do you know whether you're in a movie?

Get Leaping at Thorns today at these links:

Synopsis of Leaping at Thorns: Leaping at Thorns arranges eighteen of L. Andrew Cooper's experimental short horror stories into a triptych of themes--complicity, entrapment, and conspiracy--elements that run throughout the collection. The stories span from the emotionally-centered to the unthinkably horrific; from psychosexual grossness to absurd violence; from dark extremes to brain-and-tongue twister. These standalone stories add important details to the fictional world and grand scheme of Dr. Allen Fincher, who also lurks in the background of Cooper's novels Burning the Middle Ground and Descending Lines.

New Science Fiction Release from RJ Sullivan, Commanding the Red Lotus, Available Today!

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 08:37:00 -0700

Commanding the Red Lotus, the brand new science fiction release from R.J. Sullivan, is available today! eBook version is just $2.99 in all formats, with direct links below.

Direct Links to eBook versions:

Kindle Version

iBooks/Apple

Kobo

Synopsis of Commanding the Red Lotus:

Money Can’t Buy Respect

Sayuri Arai, privileged daughter of a corporate mogul, abandons a promising career to find her own path. She invests in a broken-down asteroid mining ship and steps in as the commander of its crew. Every day presents a new challenge just to keep her ship from falling apart and the bitter crew from killing each other. Can Sayuri unite the feuding factions, or will her rivals turn the entire complement against her?

Commanding the Red Lotus offers a classic sense of wonder for today’s science fiction readers.

Volume one of the Red Lotus Stories, now in softcover for the first time.

Commanding the Red Lotus includes the previously released ebook novelettes:

Fate of the Red Lotus

Red Lotus: Innocence Lost

Plus the brand-new novella Mutiny on the Red Lotus

About the Author: Best known for his ghost story thrillers, Commanding the Red Lotus is R.J.Sullivan’s fifth book and his first release in the genre he most adores.

R.J.’s critically acclaimed, loosely connected ghost story trilogy and his short story collection are all available in paperback and ebook though Seventh Star Press. R.J. resides with his family in Heartland Crossing, Indiana. He drinks regularly from a Little Mermaid coffee mug and is man enough to admit it. Learn more at rjsullivanfiction.com

Cover Reveal For New Edition of the Reel Dark Anthology from Editors L. Andrew Cooper and Pamela Turner!

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 06:50:00 -0700

Seventh Star Press is proud to reveal the cover art by Aaron Drown of Aaron Drown Design for the new edition of the Reel Dark anthology from editors L. Andrew Cooper and Pamela Turner. With a cinema theme and a mix of speculative fiction tales that include suspense, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and even poetry, readers will find this anthology a unique and captivating reading experience.

This edition features 2 brand new stories, one from bestselling horror author Michael West and one from acclaimed author and editor Alexander S. Brown. eBook and print editions are set for release in the first week of May.

Synopsis of Reel Dark: Welcome to a macabre cinema for the imagination, to twisted tales projected not on a movie screen but on the page. In Reel Dark you’ll find suspense, horror, science fiction, and fantasy in fiction and poetry by authors ranging from new voices to bestsellers. From the battle for recognition between a child actress and a vengeful, long-forgotten film star in “Whatever Happened to Peggy...Who?” to a hapless artist whose talent propels him into a nightmare of jealousy and revenge in “The Dreamist,” the authors have created worlds filled with madness and twisted desires. Where the lines between reality and fantasy blur, where films flicker at 24 frames per second, we catch a glimpse of strangers’ dreams and nightmares. As David Lynch puts it, “This whole world is wild at heart and weird on top.” As Karen Head writes in her poem “Amnesia,” responding to Lynch, “In the movies / everything is illusion.” But with cameras everywhere, how do you know whether you’re in a movie?

About the Editors:

L. Andrew Cooper: L. Andrew Cooper scribbles horror: novels Burning the Middle Ground and Descending Lines as well as anthologies of experimental shorts Leaping at Thorns (2014 /2016) and Peritoneum (2016). He also co-edited the anthology Imagination Reimagined (2014). His book Dario Argento (2012) examines the maestro’s movies from the 70s to the present. Cooper’s other works on horror include his non-fiction study Gothic Realities (2010), a co-edited textbook, Monsters (2012), and recent essays that discuss 2012’s Cabin in the Woods (2014) and 2010’s A Serbian Film (2015). His B.A. is from Harvard, Ph.D. from Princeton. Louisville locals might recognize him from his year-long stint as WDRB-TV’s “movie guy.” Find him at amazon.com/author/landrewcooper, facebook.com/landrewcooper, and landrewcooper.com.

Pamela Turner: Pamela Turner’s short paranormal suspense novels include Death Sword, a Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Paranormal Awards 2013 finalist, Exterminating Angel, The Ripper’s Daughter, and Malice and Mayhem: Tales of the Macabre. Her short dark suspense story, “Family Tradition” (MuseItUp Publishing), was a finalist in the EPIC 2014 EBook Awards, and her short screenplay “Cemetery” placed second in The Writers Place Short/Teleplay screenplay competition. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime, EPIC, and a supporting member of HWA. Besides coffee, she likes cats, cemeteries, and old abandoned buildings. Find her at her website, Haunted Dreams, Dark Destinies (http://pamelaturner.net/); her blog, Darkling Delights (http://www.pamela-turner.com/); on her Amazon Author Page; or https://www.facebook.com/PamelaTurnerAuthor).

Legends of Darkness and Witches from Georgia L. Jones Both Available in eBook Format Today!

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Wed, 6 Apr 2016 08:01:00 -0700

Seventh Star Press is proud to announce that both Legends of Darkness and Witches, the first two books in Georgia L. Jones' Remnants of Life series, are available today in eBook format!

Both titles are priced at just $2.99 and direct links to Kindle and Kobo formats now live are below.

Kindle Version

Kobo Version

Nook Version

Kindle Version

Kobo Version

Nook Version

Synopsis of Legends of Darkness: Dangerous Saviors…what would you do if your life rested in the hands of something that really wanted to EAT YOU…

Come journey through the realms of the next world where everything you know about Good and Evil are put to the test.

Samantha Garrett lives and dies a good life in the human world. She awakens a new creature, Samoda, a vampire-like warrior in the army of Nuem. She is forced to realize that she has become a part of a world that humans believe to be only “Legends of Darkness”. Samoda finds her new life is entwined with the age old story of Greed, Love, Betrayal, and Vengeance.

Join our Heroine as she battle’s not just for her own existence, but for entire human race’s future.

Synopsis of Witches: The second book in the Remnants of Life Series follows the story of the Warriors in their age old battle against evil that constantly fights to take over the human world.

In “Witches” meet Kali and Seline, a set of seemingly human twins who discover their heritage, which is rich in the blood of the Strega. Learn about the Strega and the role they have played throughout history. Follow our hero’s through Southwest Missouri and beyond as they pursue the demons and unravel the puzzle that has Kali and Seline right in the middle of it.

About Georgia L. Jones: Georgia L. Jones was born in Columbia, Missouri on September 21st, 1968. In 1992 she settled in the beautiful Ozarks town of Lebanon, Missouri, where she has lived since.

At a young age Georgia learned the value of getting lost in a good book. She has always enjoyed reading and letting her imagination run wild. In her early teenage years she began to put her own stories down on paper as she plunked out the words

Over the years Georgia has harbored the dream of being a published author and written many short stories. On January 10, 2010 she embarked on the dream as she began to bring the characters from her first novel, “Legends of Darkness”, to life. Upon completion in June 2010 she realized that it was not a single book but a series and created the concept of the series “Remnants of Life”.

On September 5, 2010 the “Remnants of Life” series was contracted through a small press publishing house out of Louisville, KY., and so her career began. Through that press, Blackwyrm Publishing, Georgia L. Jones published the first two books in the series, Legends of Darkness and Witches, took part in several anthology works both as an author and editor, and created a new character to add to her own multi-faceted personality, Smarty Mic Smartypants who endeavors into the more cynical and snarky side of life. In September of 2015 she became part of the Seventh Star Press Family which is based out of Lexington, KY. The second edition of the first two books in the “Remnants of Life” series as well as the third book in the series are currently contracted through them.

When her muse isn’t dragging her to lands unknown, you will find her hanging out with her family and friends in the Novalunium Paranormal Mansion, the 1840 farmhouse that she calls home as well as home base for the small Paranormal Research Group that her and a couple of friends have founded.

Cover Reveal of R.J. Sullivan's New Science Fiction Release, Commanding the Red Lotus!

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 07:42:00 -0700

Seventh Star Press is proud to reveal the new cover art by Enggar Adirasa for R.J. Sullivan's science fiction compendium Commanding the Red Lotus!

Commanding the Red Lotus is set to be released in eBook format and trade paperback at the end of April, and will feature 3 Red Lotus novellas. These include the previously released (on eBook only) Fate of the Red Lotus, and Red Lotus: Innocence Lost, along with the brand new novella Mutiny on the Red Lotus.

Get ready for some great new science fiction from the creative mind of R.J. Sullivan!

Synopsis of Commanding the Red Lotus:

Money Can’t Buy Respect

Sayuri Arai, privileged daughter of a corporate mogul, abandons a promising career to find her own path. She invests in a broken-down asteroid mining ship and steps in as the commander of its crew. Every day presents a new challenge just to keep her ship from falling apart and the bitter crew from killing each other. Can Sayuri unite the feuding factions, or will her rivals turn the entire complement against her? Commanding the Red Lotus offers a classic sense of wonder for today’s science fiction readers.

Volume one of the Red Lotus Stories, now in softcover for the first time.

Commanding the Red Lotus includes the previously released ebook novelettes:

Fate of the Red Lotus

Red Lotus: Innocence Lost

Plus the brand-new novella Mutiny on the Red Lotus

About R.J. Sullivan: Best known for his ghost story thrillers, Commanding the Red Lotus is R.J.Sullivan’s fifth book and his first release in the genre he most adores.

R.J.’s critically acclaimed, loosely connected ghost story trilogy and his short story collection are all available in paperback and ebook though Seventh Star Press. R.J. resides with his family in Heartland Crossing, Indiana. He drinks regularly from a Little Mermaid coffee mug and is man enough to admit it. Learn more at rjsullivanfiction.com

Follow R.J. Sullivan at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/R.J.SullivanAuthor/
Twitter: @RJSullivanAuthr

SwillBlog: Book Review: Transport by Peter Welmerink

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 10:44:00 -0700

New TRANSPORT book review (clink on link to read full review)

SwillBlog: Book Review: Transport by Peter Welmerink: I picked up Peter Welmerink's first book in his zombie series about an HTV, heavy transport vehicle, at the Imaginarium convention in...

The TRANSPORT Series can be purchased here:

TRANSPORT (Book One)

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

TRANSPORT (Book Two) HUNT FOR THE FALLEN

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

TRANSPORT (Book Three) UNCIVIL WAR

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

If
you are in the Grand Rapids Michigan area, Schuler Books has paperback
copies on their shelves (in SciFi/Fantasy section). Store location is:

2660 28th Street SE

Grand Rapids, MI 49512

Phone: 616.942.2561

http://www.schulerbooks.com/

Also...Tales of Joe Cross: Urban Salvage Engineer

Running with the Devil

Paperback

Kindle

Bull Run (Late 2016)

The Girl Who Ruled The World (Early 2017)

Cover Reveals For First 2 Remnants of Life Novels from Georgia L. Jones!

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 12:02:00 -0700

Seventh Star Press is proud to reveal not just one, but two brand new covers from Aaron Drown of Aaron Drown Design for Georgia L. Jones' Legends of Darkness and Witches, the first two novels in the Remnants of Life Series.

The two cross-genre/paranormal fantasy novels are being reissued by Seventh Star Press, with eBook releases of both titles coming next week and a softcover version to follow. Scott M. Sandridge served as the editor for the reissued versions.

Review requests for these titles are currently being accepts at info (at) seventhstarpress.com and a week-long blog tour is currently open for signups at the Tomorrow Comes Media site. Follow the link below if you are interested in joining!

Georgia L. Jones Remnants of Life Blog Tour

Synopsis of Witches: The second book in the Remnants of Life Series follows the story of the Warriors in their age old battle against evil that constantly fights to take over the human world.

In “Witches” meet Kali and Seline, a set of seemingly human twins who discover their heritage, which is rich in the blood of the Strega. Learn about the Strega and the role they have played throughout history. Follow our hero’s through Southwest Missouri and beyond as they pursue the demons and unravel the puzzle that has Kali and Seline right in the middle of it.

Sunday Drive for 5 to Help in Our First Media Project - Rayden Valkyrie TV Pilot

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Sun, 13 Mar 2016 11:37:00 -0700

Today we are doing a special drive to seek some $5 pledges in our campaign to bring to live a Rayden Valkyrie TV pilot, which represents our very first visual media project at Seventh Star Press. Some might not think a $5 pledge matters, but growing our backer family in a Kickstarter campaign makes an impact and helps more than you might know.

We're making headway for sure, but it's not an easy road to bring this Kickstarter Campaign to the goal line. And in a Kickstarter campaign you don't get the funding unless you reach the goal. It's all or nothing, which is a good thing as it ensures that the project is genuinely funded before it is confirmed.

Five dollars, in other areas, might mean a pack of smokes, a couple gallons of gas, 2 bags of chips, a couple gallons of milk, maybe a matinee movie, which are all gone quick, but the $5 pledged in our campaign will set in motion a tv pilot that we intend to grow into a full blown television series, something to entertain you for a long time to come and employing people and creating opportunities for a long time to come.

That's all we are asking on our Sunday Drive for 5. One day to encourage some folks to come aboard our backer family and just make a $5 pledge.

Don't forget, a $5 pledge also gets you an eBook copy of Heart of a Lion, the first novel that Rayden Valkyrie starred in, and it also gets you entered into the Imaginarium Convention contest that includes 2 hotel room nights, 2 weekend passes, and 2 award banquet tickets where the winner will be seated with our guest of honor and other major writer/filmmaker guests!

It only takes a few moments to make a pledge, so join us today on this Sunday Drive for 5! You can help us make this project happen!

To make a pledge, visit:

www.kickstarter.com/projects/seventhstarpress/rayden-valkyrie-tv-pilot

Seventh Star Press is Proud to Be Part of the Sponsor Family for StokerCon 2016

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Wed, 9 Mar 2016 08:33:00 -0800

Seventh Star Press is proud to be a supporter of StokerCon 2016 as a member of its sponsorship family.

Taking place in Las Vegas from May 12-15th and presented by the Horror Writers Association, this is going to be a spectacular event, featuring all kinds of workshops, activities, and major guests such as Jack Ketchum, R.L. Stine, Ellen Datlow, and many others. StokerCon 2016 will also feature the renowned Bram Stoker Awards.

We are very excited about participating this year and will be launching brand new titles from both L. Andrew Cooper (Peritoneum) and Dan Jolley (Gray Widow's Walk) in conjunction with this premium event. In addition, another member of our author family, Michael Knost, is a nominee for a Bram Stoker Award this year, having made the final ballot in the category of Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction for his book Author's Guide to Marketing with Teeth.

For information about StokerCon and attending, please visit their official event site at:

http://stokercon2016.org/

Michael Knost Title from Seventh Star Press Makes Final Ballot as Nominee for the 2015 Bram Stoker Awards

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 14:11:00 -0800

Seventh Star Press is extremely proud to congratulate Michael Knost, whose Author's Guide to Marketing With Teeth has been announced today as a nominee for the 2015 Bram Stoker Awards in the category of Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction, having made the Final Ballot.

We are very proud of this Seventh Star Press release and very happy for Michael! To see the full announcement and list of nominees, please visit:

2015 Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot Announcement

Michael Knost

Cover Reveal and Pre-Order Offer for USA Today Bestselling Author Dan Jolley's Gray Widow's Walk!

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 07:55:00 -0800

Seventh Star Press is proud to reveal the new cover art by John Nadeau for Gray Widow's Walk, the first book in an exciting new trilogy from USA Today Bestselling author and co-writer of the world-wide #1 selling game Dying Light Dan Jolley

Gray Widow's Walk will be released in print and eBook formats on May 13, 2016, and a special pre-order offer for signed copies of the trade paperback is now open at the Seventh Star Press website. Follow the link below to see the offer and reserve a copy.

Gray Widow's Walk Pre-Order Offer

Gray Widow's Walk is the first book of the Gray Widow Trilogy. The cross-genre trilogy, with a mix of science fiction, thriller elements, and dark fantasy, features captivating female protagonist, Janey Sinclair, the masked vigilante dubbed "the Gray Widow" by the press.

Synopsis of Gray Widow's Walk:

“The only thing in this world you can truly control is yourself.”

Janey Sinclair’s ability to teleport has always been a mystery to her. She tried for years to ignore it, but when tragedy shatters her life, Janey’s anger consumes her. She hones her fighting skills, steals a prototype suit of military body armor, and takes to the streets of Atlanta, venting her rage as the masked vigilante dubbed “the Gray Widow” by the press.

But Janey’s power, and her willingness to use it, plunges her into a conflict on a much grander scale than she had anticipated.

Soon she encounters Simon Grove, a bloodthirsty runaway with a shapeshifting ability gone horribly wrong…

Garrison Vessler, an ex-FBI agent and current private defense contractor, who holds some of the answers Janey’s been searching for…

And Tim Kapoor, the first person in years with a chance of breaking through Janey’s emotional shell—if she’ll let him.

But as Janey’s vigilantism gains worldwide attention, and her showdown with Simon Grove draws ever closer, the reason for her augmented abilities—hers and all the others like her—begins to reveal itself. Because, high above the Earth, other eyes are watching. And they have far-reaching plans…

Gray Widow’s Walk is book one of the Gray Widow Trilogy, to be followed by Gray Widow’s Web and Gray Widow’s War.

About Dan Jolley: Dan Jolley started writing professionally at age nineteen. Beginning in comic books, he has since branched out into original novels, licensed-property novels, children’s books, and video games. His twenty-five-year career includes the YA sci-fi/espionage trilogy Alex Unlimited; the award-winning comic book mini-series Obergeist; the Eisner Award-nominated comic book mini-series JSA: The Liberty Files; and the Transformers video games War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron. Dan was co-writer of the world-wide-bestselling zombie/parkour game Dying Light, and lead writer of the Oculus Rift game Chronos. Dan lives somewhere in the northwest Georgia foothills with his wife Tracy and a handful of largely inert cats. Gray Widow’s Walk is his first adult novel.

Learn more about Dan by visiting his website, www.danjolley.com, and follow him on Twitter @_DanJolley

Michael Knost's Seventh Star Press Title Makes 2015 Bram Stoker Awards Preliminary Ballot in Non-Fiction Category!

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 11:10:00 -0800

Seventh Star Press is proud to congratulate Michael Knost for the announcement that his book Author's Guide to Marketing with Teeth has made the 2015 Bram Stoker Awards Preliminary Ballot in the Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction category!

See the Preliminary Ballot list at: http://horror.org/9296-2/

About Author's Guide to Marketing with Teeth: Author’s Guide to Marketing with Teeth is a collection of essays and interviews on marketing and advertising for authors and books. Michael Knost has spent more than a quarter of a century in marketing, working in the radio, television, and newspaper industries, as well as serving as marketing director and chief marketing officer for several large companies, including those in the automotive industry.

Mr. Knost has taken the lessons he’s learned from his extensive experience and captured the best tips and advice for authors (or anyone in the publishing industry) who hopes to increase sales and/or name brand recognition. Each chapter covers a different subject with tips on theory and execution.

And let’s not forget the interviews. Michael is also including several with successful authors to learn about their personal marketing strategies—from when they began their careers to now. You’ll hear from superstars such as Charlaine Harris, Diana Gabaldon, Jonathan Maberry, Kevin J. Anderson, Lucy A. Snyder, and Dan Poynter.

Kindle Link

Cover Art Reveal for Michael West's Zeus' Warriors, Book Three of Legacy of the Gods!

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 20:01:00 -0800

Seventh Star Press is proud to reveal the cover art by Natasha Alterici for best-selling author Michael West's Zeus' Warriors, Book Three in the Legacy of the Gods Series!

The follow-up to the acclaimed novels Poseidon's Children and Hades' Disciples, Zeus' Warriors continues the urban fantasy/dark fantasy series by Michael West. The novel will also feature interior art by Natasha Alterici and will be released in the later part of 2016 in softcover, limited edition hardcover, and all eBook formats.

With Amazon best-sellers such as Cinema of Shadows and Spook House to his credit, Michael is ready to excite readers everywhere with his best novel yet!

Synopsis for Zeus' Warriors:

Zeus’ warriors, the defenders of humanity, have suffered terrible losses.

Presumed dead, Earl Preston has been forced to retreat into a forgotten underworld beneath New York City, but he is still far from safe. Hades’ disciples need only to recover the two remaining crystal skulls -- ancient vessels of indescribable power -- and their dark quest to return the vanquished gods to earth will be all but complete. To save civilization as we know it, Earl must rise to confront his greatest challenge yet, but this is a fight he cannot win alone.

Trapped inside an alien environment, Alan Everson and Kari Hannigan must put aside their differences and work together to help a gravely injured Carol Miyagi -- a woman they both claim to love. Theirs is a journey to discover the secret of life itself. And they may not like what they find.

About the author: Michael West is the bestselling author of Cinema of Shadows, Spook House, The Wide Game, Skull Full of Kisses, and the critically-acclaimed Legacy of the Gods series. He lives and works in the Indianapolis area with his wife, their two children, their turtle, Gamera, and their dog, King Seesar.

West displays many different skulls in his office. His favorites include a skull-shaped computer speaker and a human skull lamp that sits on his desk.

Links for the Kindle Sales Titles from Seventh Star Press

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Sat, 26 Dec 2015 17:31:00 -0800

Seventh Star Press Holiday Kindle Sale Through December 31

Running through December 31st, Seventh Star Press has an ongoing big sale involving all of our author family! Every title listed below is just 99 cents on Kindle right now, so you can try out and add some great authors to your eReaders, whether you just got one for Christmas or had one before! Steampunk, Fantasy, Horror, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, Cross-genre, and much more!

The full list of titles offered at 99 cents with direct links are:

D.A. Adams The Brotherhood of Dwarves

John F. Allen Codename: Knight Ranger

H. David Blalock Angelkiller

Elizabeth Donald Nocturne Infernum

A. Christopher Drown A Mage of None Magic

Southern Haunts: Spirits that Walk Among Us (Anthology) Ed by Alexander S. Brown and J.L. Mulvihill

Bob Freeman Shadows Over Somerset

Jackie Gamber Redheart

E. Chris Garrison Four Til Late

Crymsyn Hart Death's Dance

Selah Janel Olde School

Brick Marlin Shadow Out of the Sky

J.L. Mulvihill The Boxcar Baby

S.H. Roddey Armageddon Rising

Steven Shrewsbury Overkill

Jason Sizemore Irredeemable

AshleyRose Sullivan Silver Tongue

R.J. Sullivan Haunting Obsession

Michael West Cinema of Shadows

Peter Welmerink Transport

Stephen Zimmer Chronicles of Ave, Volume 1 and Crown of Vengeance

Check them out and discover some great reads and writers!

Big Kindle Sale Begins on the 24th Featuring ALL Seventh Star Press Authors

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 09:26:00 -0800

Big Kindle Sale December 24-December 31!

With all of the new eReaders needing new content this holiday season, and previous eReaders needing new content, Seventh Star Press will be there to help in a way that doesn't hit your gift card or pocket book hard!

That's right, we're having a big Kindle sale, with 99 cent titles from ALL Seventh Star Press Authors. The sale begins on the 24th and continues through December 31st, rounding out 2015 on a high note!

The full list of titles to be offered at 99 cents are:

D.A. Adams The Brotherhood of Dwarves

John F. Allen Codename: Knight Ranger

H. David Blalock Angelkiller

Elizabeth Donald Nocturne Infernum

A. Christopher Drown A Mage of None Magic

Southern Haunts: Spirits that Walk Among Us (Anthology) Ed by Alexander S. Brown and J.L. Mullvihill

Bob Freeman Shadows Over Somerset

Jackie Gamber Redheart

E. Chris Garrison Four Til Late

Crymsyn Hart Death's Dance

Selah Janel Olde School

Brick Marlin Shadow Out of the Sky

J.L. Mulvihill The Boxcar Baby

S.H. Roddey Armageddon Rising

Steven Shrewsbury Overkill

Jason Sizemore Irredeemable

AshleyRose Sullivan Silver Tongue

R.J. Sullivan Haunting Obsession

Michael West Cinema of Shadows

Peter Welmerink Transport

Stephen Zimmer Chronicles of Ave, Volume 1 and Crown of Vengeance

Get ready for some holiday fun and fill your eReaders inexpensively with some awesome speculative fiction reads!

Dan Jolley Joins Seventh Star Press Author Family

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 07:49:00 -0800

Seventh Star Press is proud to announce Dan Jolley as the latest addition to our author family, with his cross-genre Gray Widow Trilogy. A prolific writer who has numerous credits in the book, comic,gaming and video game worlds, Dan is going to be a tremendous addition to the Seventh Star Press family.

The first book of the Gray Widow Trilogy, Gray Widow's Walk, will be released in early 2016 in softcover and eBook formats. The cross-genre trilogy, with a mix of science fiction, thriller elements, and dark fantasy, and featuring a captivating female protagonist, will feature brand new cover art from Enggar Adirasa.

About Gray Widow's Walk:

“The only thing in this world you can truly control is yourself.”

But Janey’s power, and her willingness to use it, plunges her into a conflict on a much grander scale than she had anticipated.

Soon she encounters Simon Grove, a bloodthirsty runaway with a shapeshifting ability gone horribly wrong…

Garrison Vessler, an ex-FBI agent and current private defense contractor, who holds some of the answers Janey’s been searching for…

And Tim Kapoor, the first person in years with a chance of breaking through Janey’s emotional shell—if she’ll let him.

Gray Widow’s Walk is book one of the Gray Widow Trilogy, to be followed by Gray Widow’s Web and Gray Widow’s War.

About Dan: Dan Jolley started writing professionally at age nineteen. Beginning in comic books, he has since branched out into original novels, licensed-property novels, children's books, and video games. His twenty-five-year career includes the YA sci-fi/espionage trilogy Alex Unlimited; the award-winning comic book mini-series Obergeist; the Eisner Award-nominated comic book mini-series JSA: The Liberty Files; and the Transformers video games War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron. Dan was co-writer of the world-wide-bestselling zombie/parkour game Dying Light, and lead writer of the Oculus Rift game Chronos. Dan lives somewhere in the northwest Georgia foothills with his wife Tracy and a handful of largely inert cats. Gray Widow's Walk is his first adult novel.

Learn more about Dan by visiting his website, www.danjolley.com, and follow him on Twitter @_DanJolley

Pick Up Michael West's Best-Selling Horror Novel Cinema of Shadows for 99 Cents on eBook!

stephen@stephenzimmer.com (Stephen Zimmer) — Fri, 4 Dec 2015 08:05:00 -0800

For a limited time you can pick up Michael West's best-selling horror novel Cinema of Shadows for just 99 cents on Kindle, Nook, and Kobo! 63 Amazon reviews with a 4.4 star average! Get started today on your Michael West reads!

Kindle

Nook

Kobo

Synopsis of Cinema of Shadows: Welcome to the Woodfield Movie Palace. The night the Titanic sank, it opened for business...and its builder died in his chair. In the 1950s, there was a fire; a balcony full of people burned to death. And years later, when it became the scene of one of Harmony, Indiana's most notorious murders, it closed for good. Abandoned, sealed, locked up tight...until now. Tonight, Professor Geoffrey Burke and his Parapsychology students have come to the Woodfield in search of evidence, hoping to find irrefutable proof of a haunting. Instead, they will discover that, in this theater, the terrors are not confined to the screen.

Cinema of Shadows is one of the growing Harmony, Indiana collection of horror tales from Michael West that also includes Spook House, Goodnight, For the River is Wide and the Gods are Hungry, and The Wide Game.